Jaw assembly for a demolition tool

Abstract

A jaw assembly for a demolition tool is disclosed. The jaw assembly comprises at least one first coupling portion and at least one second coupling portion disposed on a first jaw. The first coupling portion comprises an intermediate contact member and side contact members laterally extending from opposite sides of the intermediate contact member. A wear plate comprises a body element saddling the intermediate contact member, a pair of spaced apart first engagement elements extending from an end of the body, and a pair of spaced apart second engagement elements extending from an opposite end for engaging the side contact members. An active module is removably coupled to the second coupling portion and comprises a body member and a pair of braces disposed on opposite sides of the body member, wherein a brace extends over the second coupling elements. The wear plate may be replaced when worn out.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A jaw assembly for a demolition tool, the jaw assembly comprising:
 a first jaw having a back end disposed opposite a front end, a longitudinal direction of the first jaw extending from the back end toward the front end; 
 a second jaw operatively coupled to the first jaw via a pivot connection located at the back end of the first jaw; 
 at least one first coupling portion disposed on the first jaw, the at least one first coupling portion comprising:
 an intermediate contact member; and 
 a pair of side contact members laterally extending from opposite sides of the intermediate contact member, one side contact member of the pair of side contact members protruding away from another side contact member of the pair of side contact members along a transverse direction, the transverse direction being transverse to the longitudinal direction, 
 each side contact member having a first protrusion spaced apart from a second protrusion, the first protrusion and the second protrusion extending away from a respective side contact member of the pair of side contact members along a normal direction and protruding away from the intermediate contact member along the transverse direction, the normal direction being perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction, the normal direction facing the second jaw; 
 
 a wear plate removably coupled to the at least one first coupling portion, the wear plate comprising:
 a body element saddling the intermediate contact member; 
 a pair of spaced apart first engagement elements extending from a first end of the body and being engaged with the first protrusions; and 
 a pair of spaced apart second engagement elements extending from a second end of the body and being engaged with the second protrusions, the first end of the body being opposite the second end of the body; 
 
 at least one second coupling portion adjacent to the at least one first coupling portion; and 
 an active module removably coupled to the at least one second coupling portion, the active module comprising:
 a body member mounted to the at the least one second coupling portion; and 
 a pair of braces disposed on opposite sides of the body member, wherein a brace of the pair of braces extends over the second engagement elements, such that the wear plate is captured between the active module and the at least one first coupling portion. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The jaw assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each first engagement element comprises mutually angularly spaced bifurcate fingers and each second engagement element comprises mutually angularly spaced bifurcate branches. 
     
     
       3. The jaw assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the bifurcate fingers have a same angular spacing as the bifurcate branches. 
     
     
       4. The jaw assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the bifurcate fingers have a smaller angular spacing than the bifurcate branches. 
     
     
       5. The jaw assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each first protrusion has a first convex curve with a higher curvature relative to a second convex curve of each second protrusion. 
     
     
       6. The jaw assembly of  claim 1 , wherein convex curves of the first protrusion and the second protrusion have cross-sections defined by circular arcs. 
     
     
       7. The jaw assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first protrusion faces the second protrusion. 
     
     
       8. The jaw assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate contact member has a v-shaped contact surface for coupling to the body having a complementarily shaped contact face. 
     
     
       9. The jaw assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the pair of spaced apart first engagement elements of the wear plate and the pair of spaced apart second engagement elements of the wear plate extend along sides of the intermediate contact member. 
     
     
       10. The jaw assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of wear plates including the wear plate; and 
 a plurality of active modules including the active module, 
 wherein the at least one first coupling portion includes a plurality of first coupling portions, 
 wherein the at least one second coupling portion includes a plurality of second coupling portions, 
 wherein the plurality of wear plates are removably coupled to the plurality of first coupling portions, 
 wherein the plurality of active modules are removably coupled to the plurality of second coupling portions, and 
 wherein the plurality of wear plates alternate with the plurality of active modules. 
 
     
     
       11. A wear plate for removable mounting to a jaw assembly of a demolition tool, the wear plate comprising:
 a body element configured to saddle at least one first coupling portion disposed on a first jaw of the jaw assembly; 
 a pair of first engagement elements extending from a first end of the body element for engaging with first protrusions provided on the at least one first coupling portion, the pair of first engagement elements being spaced apart from one another along a transverse direction; and 
 a pair of second engagement elements extending from a second end of the body element for engaging with second protrusions provided on the at least one first coupling portion, the pair of second engagement elements being spaced apart from one another along the transverse direction, 
 the first end of the body element being opposite the second end of the body element, a longitudinal direction of the body element extending from the first end toward the second end, 
 the longitudinal direction being perpendicular to the transverse direction, 
 wherein each first engagement element of the pair of first engagement elements comprises mutually angularly spaced bifurcate fingers, and each second engagement element of the pair of second engagement elements comprises mutually angularly spaced bifurcate branches, 
 wherein the bifurcate fingers of each first engagement element includes a first finger and a second finger, 
 wherein the bifurcate branches of each second engagement element includes a first branch and a second branch, 
 wherein the second finger of each first engagement element and the second branch of each second engagement element are disposed between the first finger of one first engagement element and the first branch of one second engagement element along the longitudinal direction, 
 wherein the first finger of each first engagement element projects away from and beyond the body element along the longitudinal direction, and 
 wherein the first branch of each second engagement element projects away from and beyond the body element along the longitudinal direction, and the first branch of each second engagement element projects away from the first finger of each first engagement element along the longitudinal direction. 
 
     
     
       12. The wear plate of  claim 11 , wherein the body element has a v-shaped contact face for coupling with an intermediate contact member of the first coupling portion. 
     
     
       13. The wear plate of  claim 11 , wherein the bifurcate fingers have a same angular spacing as the bifurcate branches. 
     
     
       14. The wear plate of  claim 11 , wherein an end of the second finger of each first engagement element and an end of the second branch of each second engagement element all project away from the body element along a normal direction of the wear plate, the normal direction being perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction. 
     
     
       15. The wear plate of  claim 11 , wherein the first finger of each first engagement element includes a first finger side and a second finger side that extend from the body element toward a tip of each respective first finger, the first finger side facing away from the second finger side along a normal direction,
 wherein the first branch of each second engagement element includes a first branch side and a second branch side that extend from the body element toward a tip of each respective first branch, the first branch side facing away from the second branch side along the normal direction, and 
 wherein the normal direction is perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction. 
 
     
     
       16. A modular system for removable mounting of replaceable parts to a jaw assembly of a demolition tool, the modular system comprising:
 a wear plate comprising: 
 a body element configured to saddle at least one first coupling portion disposed on a first jaw of the jaw assembly; 
 a pair of spaced apart first engagement elements extending from a first end of the body element for engaging with first protrusions provided on the at least one first coupling portion; and 
 a pair of spaced apart second engagement elements extending longitudinally from a second end of the body element for engaging with second protrusions provided on the at least one first coupling portion, the first end of the body element being opposite the second end of the body element; and 
 an active module comprising: 
 a body member configured to be mountable to at least one second coupling portion disposed on the first jaw adjacent to the at least one first coupling portion; and 
 at least one brace disposed on a side of the body member and extending over the second engagement elements, such that when the wear plate and the active module are assembled on the first jaw, the wear plate is captured between the active module and the at least one first coupling portion. 
 
     
     
       17. The modular system of  claim 16 , wherein each first engagement element comprises mutually angularly spaced bifurcate fingers and each second engagement element comprises mutually angularly spaced bifurcate branches. 
     
     
       18. The modular system of  claim 17 , wherein the bifurcate fingers have a same angular spacing as the bifurcate branches. 
     
     
       19. The modular system of  claim 16 , wherein each first protrusion has a first convex curve with a higher curvature relative to a second convex curve of each second protrusion. 
     
     
       20. The modular system of  claim 16 , wherein the body element has a v-shaped contact face for coupling with an intermediate contact member of the first coupling portion.